Pussy Riot, A Unwitting Tool For Tyranny

A shocking name, a group of young females rallying against a repressive government with passion and vigor in a bid to shine a bright, international light on the evils of tyranny: What more could American mainstream media have asked for?

For media, Pussy Riot is the stuff of underdog story dreams. They are Russians decrying the actions of the former KGB agent and questionably elected President Vladimir Putin. And he put his metaphorical boot on their throats. Youth, vigor, a name just uncomfortable enough to be catchy, and a disdain for the rigid, caste-like Russian society met with government persecution. And, as an added bonus, no matter how many times they hear it, Americans are more likely than not to stay tuned to a television or radio broadcast upon suddenly hearing the mention of the words “Pussy Riot” — verbal shock and awe.

Last February, the punk-rock outfit presented parishioners of the Saviour Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, with a less-than-holy impromptu performance during which they implored the Virgin Mary to remove Putin from the nation’s presidency. They have been jailed since.

Last week, mainstream press was abuzz with reports about the outcome of the Moscow trial of Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina, 24; Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22; and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29. They were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years of hard time.

The Kremlin has come under immense condemnation from international media outlets, activists groups, humanitarian watchdogs, celebrities and various governments. The U.S. State Department took a break from its own war on government critics — namely, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — to condemn the Russian court, claiming concern over “the verdict and the disproportionate sentences… and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia.” A White House spokesman also said America has “serious concerns about the way that these young women have been treated by the Russian judicial system.”

No word yet about whether or not Americans should expect a statement from the White House regarding draconian sentencing for American non-violent drug offenders, questionable military-beat-down-style arrests of American protestors in recent history (and likely many more to come), universal electronic spying that has led to government terrorism charges linked to online activity, or vast surveillance of certain religious groups within the Nation.

And, given some recent turns in America’s Federal policy toward dissidence or perception thereof (think NDAA, a continual move toward total surveillance and the recommendations of just about any document produced by the Department of Homeland Security), one could likely venture to say that a group of scantily clad punk rockers bursting into American churches with similar intentions would face at least some charges.

This, after all, was not Pussy Riot’s first gig. According to a recent opinion piece in The New York Times by Russia analyst Vadim Nakitin, Pussy Rioter Tolokonnikova asserted her free-speech rights back in 2008 “naked and heavily pregnant, in a public orgy at a Moscow museum.”

It is also worthy of note that a recent poll found most Russians don’t really care for Pussy Riot or its political agenda; only 5 percent of respondents argued that the members should have been absolved of charges. This isn’t heavily surprising, considering the fringe ideas of the activist musicians that resemble a hyped-up anarchist and overly sexualized version of America’s Occupy Wall Street anti-capitalism.

So why is the band’s sentence of two years’ imprisonment a big deal, worthy of American media’s total attention? One explanation could be the fact that many Americans are beginning to reject the image of the heavily bearded, turban-clad common enemy that unified the masses in acceptance of a full-on assault on American liberty. And as more and more Americans wake up to the fact that the most dangerous of enemies of the American way of life don’t live in holes in remote Mideast deserts, but rather walk marbled halls in Washington or have direct influence on those who do, the criminal enterprise that is the Federal government needs to change the narrative.

This has worked before. Does it feel like it is getting chilly in here?

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Sam Rolley

Sam Rolley began a career in journalism working for a small town newspaper while seeking a B.A. in English. After covering community news and politics, Rolley took a position at Personal Liberty Media Group where could better hone his focus on his true passions: national politics and liberty issues. In his daily columns and reports, Rolley works to help readers understand which lies are perpetuated by the mainstream media and to stay on top of issues ignored by more conventional media outlets.

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